One Hour Till 34

I'm 33 years old for just another hour and nineteen or so minutes, but by the time I post this, it'll be significantly closer. I just walked into my living room after putting my 3 year old son back to sleep. When I walked out, I looked at my phone and it was exactly 10:16pm. I was born on October 16th, or 10/16, which is tomorrow, when I'll be 34 years of age. What are the odds, the night before my birthday, after spending a good deal of time trying to coo a toddler back to sleep that I'd arrive back in front of my phone at this exact time? This is probably the most uninteresting experience I've had recognizing synchronistic events, which I feel is saying a lot.

There was the time recently when my son and I were watching a Baby Einstein video. One scene on this particular disc featured a lamp string dangling from the top of the television screen and a hand puppet examining it curiously. The hand puppet did what any of us would likely do if alone- be curious enough to pull the string. But at the precisely exact moment it did (with force, I might add) the electricity went out in my apartment building and entire street. I report this to you with no exaggeration in timing. This is an extreme example of a synchronistic event, and I hope to share many more.

In the fairness of balance (if you've done the astrological math by now, you'll figure out I'm a Libra and that's supposed to mean I enjoy balance, though who knows really if that's why I do) I should report a sort of middle of the road experience, and then hurry up and go to bed so I can wake up as a 34 year old man.

I was in Rite Aid 2 days ago buying razor cartridges. For the first time ever, I noticed the packaging translates the word 'cartridges' in french to 'cartouches'. I reported this visual recognition to my wife. "Cartouches" I joked around with her, though from what I understand it's pronounced 'cartoosh'. I found it funny because it reminded me of another word people get called a lot these days, or playfully refer to themselves as being. However, it is a word I have not ever (in my recollection) heard tossed around at parties, while traveling overseas the couple of times I have, or with a buddy while he buys razors. The word 'cartouches' was as unfamiliar as a distant stranger. Now, after waiting in a decent sized line with 4 separate cashiers (giving me a 1 in 4 chance of ending up with whom I did), I was beckoned by an open cashier named Gloria and began the process of purchasing my item. The first thing that caught me off guard was that her opening line to me was "Does your girlfriend care that you have the name Jennifer tattooed on your neck?" This is odd for a number of reason. One-  my girlfriend? Then I remembered I recently lost 40 lbs and wasn't wearing my wedding ring, so OK-  that takes care of that. But Jennifer (my first wife's name) is tattooed on my neck in egyptian hieroglyphics! Rather than getting into the how's, why's, and who's with this woman, having been in a weird situation or 2 in the past, I carried on with her as if this were totally normal and said "No, my wife doesn't mind because her and I now have matching tattoos on the other side of my neck and one corresponding on her wrist". But I have to be honest, I was still very much in a mystical daze of sorts when Gloria and I reached our most excellent moment as strangers; we stumbled upon a synchronistic event that I will now share with you: Gloria then said "This is a really good price on cartouches", pronouncing it not the way someone who understood french dialect would, but in the funnier, comical way I had joked with my wife earlier (cartooshes). She carried on "Yeah, I've seen cartouches around for 2 dollars more than this everywhere....... this is a good price." What are the odds?

These everyday events are the sole reason I have started this blog, and are the only experiences you should expect to find recorded here. I've found that no matter your intellect, faith or non, race or background that human beings in general have these moments often in their lives. Some chalk it up to luck, or coincidence, or God working in mysterious ways. I'm unsure of any of that, and feel branding the experience will end up cheapening it. At very least, it's interesting to read or hear of.

It is now a little under 10 minutes before my 34th birthday on planet Earth. Welcome to Sync In The City!!!

Sync In The City is a place for strangers to share synchronistic experiences with each other. If you would like to participate, please forward stories to to: jc@jaymeecarpenter.com